Travel Destinations
in South Africa

South Africa is a vast country and the distances are considerable. Cape Point is 2,000 km from the country's northern border at the Limpopo River. If your time is limited, you should confine yourself to one or two of the six travel areas. Each area offers many attractive features and is worth your spending at least two weeks in each part. This definitely also applies to the neighbouring country Namibia which you will find in the separate Namibia Online Travel Guide.

Travel Area 1Gauteng, Mpumalanga, Limpopo and
North-West ProvinceThe north-east features the capital Pretoria and the metropolis of Johannesburg, the port of entry for many travelers. In this area you will find many tourist highlights like the Kruger National Park, the Drakensberg of Mpumalanga with the spectacular Blyde River Canyon, the Ndebele cultural villages, the gambler’s paradise of Sun City, Pilanesberg National Park, Polokwane and the Magoebaskloof mountains or the Marakele National Park. Also here: Swaziland.

Travel Area 2KwaZulu-NatalThe province of KwaZulu Natal with the metropolis Durban on the Indian Ocean, where you will find wonderful swimming beaches. The Mkuzi, Umfolozi and Hluhluwe, Ndumo, Tembe and Ithala game parks, the Greater St.Lucia Wetlands Park, the Zulu Cultural Villages, the Midlands and the highland region of the uKhahlamba Drakensberg Park.

Travel Area 3Garden Route and KarooThe Garden Route with its capital George and its numerous seaside resorts of Mossel Bay, Wilderness, Knysna and Plettenberg Bay, the Tsitsikamma National Park, the Eastern Cape Province with its capital Port Elizabeth, the Addo Elephant Park, Grahamstown and East London. The southern part of the Karoo with attractions like the ostrich farms of Oudtshoorn, the quaint town of Graaff-Reinet and the Valley of Desolation or the Mountain Zebra National Park. The former Transkei, today part of the Eastern Cape Province, and its Wild Coast also lie in this area.

Travel Area 4Cape Town and
Western CapeThe Western Cape Province, a geographically small area, offers many interesting tourist destinations. This is where Cape Town lies, the Cape Peninsula and the Cape of Good Hope. Other attractions are the Winelands around Stellenbosch, Paarl and Franschhoek, the rugged, romantic West Coast with the picturesque Lambert's Bay and the beautiful Cedarberg, the peaceful Breede River Valley and the still hardly known Overberg region.

Travel Area 5NamaqualandThe northwestern part of South Africa with its endless open expanses and fascinating landscapes. Here you will find the remote Richtersveld National Park, the remote fishing villages of Hondeklip Bay and Port Nolloth, and Namaqualand - covered in wildflowers in spring - with its capital town Springbok and the Hantam Karoo pearl Calvinia.Travel Area 6Free State + KalahariThe northern Karoo and the Kalahari. The highlights of this area include: the spectacular Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, the thundering Augrabies Falls, Upington on the Orange River, the diamond town of Kimberley, the Free State with its capital Bloemfontein and attractions like the Golden Gate National Park, Sterkfontein or the Pretorius Game Reserve.Climatewise some areas are more suitable to travel at certain times, others are less suitable. Check the Climate menu for detailed information.